As if it weren't bad enough that federally-mandated air bags can kill small children, now we have yet another regulatory fiasco involving automobiles.

In 1989, the U.S. EPA began touting the idea of adding so-called oxygenates to gasoline. The idea was to lower air pollution, by causing much more of the auto exhaust to become harmless carbon dioxide, rather than toxic carbon monoxide.

Congress passed legislation, and before long, methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, was used in reformulated gasoline, sold in all or parts of 16 states. Such gasoline accounted for about one third of all gasoline sold in America.

Even at the time, various groups raised objections to MTBE, but they were mostly blown off by the omniscient EPA. After all, Federal superiority in all things was worked out in 1865, wasn't it?

Unfortunately, for the Feds, the data started rolling in:

Government-sponsored research determined that MTBE causes tumors in rats and may do so in humans.

An advisory panel, comprising diverse interests from environmentalists to oil industry executives, found that while reformulated gasoline has contributed to air quality improvements, MTBE poses a growing threat to drinking water.

The panel learned that MTBE molecules travel unusually fast through soil and into ground water, once gasoline gets into the environment. That can happen through leaks in underground tanks or spills while refueling motor vehicles, boats, and lawn mowers.

A University of California study indicated that the compound has affected at least 10,000 groundwater sites in California alone.

Faced with the truth, EPA Administrator Carol Browner had no choice but to announce, on July 26, 1999, that her agency "must begin to significantly reduce the use of MTBE in gasoline as quickly as possible without sacrificing the gains we've made in achieving cleaner air."

Of course, the real PR damage occurred when the story was broken January 16, 2000 on the TV show "60 Minutes."

Perhaps this will fire up our quiescent electorate, but, to what end? The lion's share of regulatory mischief is performed by non-elected bureaucrats. And, way too many people have been brainwashed into thinking that the government must have a cradle to grave role in all aspects of our lives.

Surely, shrinking the size of government is the answer, but that will only be accomplished with massive tax reform. A consumption tax, rather than an income tax, is a swell idea, but reducing the take considerably has to be the ultimate goal.

Until such time that this country goes back to the ideals of self-reliance on which it was founded, the situation will only get worse. All we have to do is get every special interest to back down, and that, my friends, would be a miracle.

But, I still believe that somehow, some day, some leader will come along, who will be able to convince Americans that giving away an average of 40 percent of their income in taxes has not been in their best interest. Just don't look for this charismatic individual in the current crop of presidential wannabes.